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Archive for the ‘Gadgets’ Category

More Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Used Batteries

Monday, February 28th, 2011

After we mentioned Phantom Light’s Vulture which is designed to attach to the BA-5590 battery and use its residual power several of our readers sent in links to their favorite battery scavenging accessories. Based on this input we found two products that do the same thing; combine a 5590-style battery plug with a female half of a 12v cigarette lighter adapter. With that you can attach any number of receptacles in order to power a variety of devices. Visit any big box or automotive store for ideas.

www.tacticaleng.com

www.lindelectronics.com

If you have experience with either one of these or any other similar products for that matter, please update us in the comments section.

Phantom Lights Vulture Series

Sunday, February 27th, 2011

Ever wanted to be able to scavenge the rest of the power from your partially depleted BA-5590s? If you’re deployed forward you probably have stacks of the things that have come back from patrol but you won’t send back out since they don’t have a full charge. But what to do with them? Some have crafted amazing Rube Goldberg contraptions to harvest whatever they can from the used cells. But now there is a dedicated solution. Phantom Lights has developed the Phantom Vulture, an LED light mounted on a flexible neck that attaches directly to a BA-5590. It straps into place and can run for weeks or months depending on the residual charge in the battery. Simple in design yet ingenious in inspiration. Well done! Now, come up with a way to power other 12v electronics from a 5590.

www.phantomlights.com

All-Time 100 Gadgets

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

Yes, we are gadget geeks at SSD, and when we heard that Time magazine had published a list of the top 100 gadgets of all time (OK, so we lied, it’s 1923 to now), we had to check it out. We aren’t going to steal any of their thunder since we know you are going to check it out, but we do have a couple of comments.

First off, they didn’t have a military category and everyone knows that all of the best technological advances, ever, were due to man’s inhumanity to man. And, how the heck did the TV not make the list unless you count the craptastic Sony Watchman? The remote made the list but not the idiot box. Classic.

www.time.com

Gerber Unveils New Products at AUSA ADS

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

Gerber Legendary Blades is known to unveil new tactical products as the Association of the US Army’s Annual meeting in Washington, DC and this year did not disappoint. This time, they released three completely new products as well as a new color (Tan 499) for the Strap Cutter which makes it OCP compatible.

The first and most impressive of the new products is the Cable Dawg. Designed specifically for communications troops, this tool will find a home with anyone looking for a handy tool for fiber optic and other IT-related work. Featuring wire cutter, CAT5 jacket cutter, RJ45 Crimper Head, Wire strippers, Knife blade, Magnetic driver extension with tool heads. Additionally, the handles are crafted from glass filled nylon to help reduce weight and the side of the handle that houses the driver extension and tool heads can be removed.

Gerber also introduced a new light, the Hands Free Recon (HFR-M) which is kind of a new take on the mini angle head. The on/off switch in on the top with the lights mounted perpendicular to the body. It includes four outputs including a low Night Vision System detection, White, Red, and IR. Additionally, you can choose low, medium, high, or beacon modes. Mounting options include helmet and MOLLE. Finally, the HFR can use AA or CR123 batteries for up to 6 hours of illumination.

We’ll leave that fourth product a mystery for now. After all, we have to leave something for the other guys to write about.

All Gerber products are available for unit or agency purchase from ADS.

You Can’t Keep a Good Monkey Down

Tuesday, October 26th, 2010

And that goes double for our favorite monkey, MILSPECMONKEY himself. He is constantly releasing new items but two recently caught our eye.

The first is the DeathMechanic Shirt. Available in a variety of colors this t-shirt is for people who fix things…… to death!

And next is the MONKEY key chain featuring his iconic logo. When we got one in the mail we almost ran out to buy a new car just so we would have some keys for it.

Light My Fire Sporks

Monday, October 25th, 2010

The Light My Fire Spork isn’t that crappy spork your daddy used to get at KFC. Instead of a spoon with a forked edge, the Spork is a spoon on one side and a fork on the other, with a serrated edge, making it a knife as well. There are even different kinds of Sporks available, like the extra-medium, made to better reach into larger freeze-dried food pouches, as well as the large, which is used for cooking. Light My Fire also offers Plexiglass tubes, which hold Sporks in bulk, and can be ordered to hold pre-arranged color combinations, including our favorite, Combat. You can find Light My Fire Sporks at many outdoor retailers.

www.lightmyfire.com

TACSOP Battle Book Covers

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

CPGear offers covers for your TACSOP. The TACSOP Battle Book Covers are designed to fit the 3″ x 5″ or 4″ x 6″ Rite in the Rain Field Notebooks. Additionally, they have external pockets for writing instruments as well as a large pile panel across the back to facilitate attachment to CPGear’s leg panel. Made in Canada from 420D Cordura, the covers are available in UCP, Coyote, MultiCam, and CADPAT TW.

Don’t forget to take a look at the page protectors as well. Available in 3″ x 5″ and 4″ x 6″ the Noteguard Sheet Protector Pocket accept writing from permanent markers, staedler markers, sharpies, standard and mechanical pencils but the markings won’t be absorbed by the vinyl meaning you can use them over and over. Additionally, toner from photocopies will not stick to the Noteguard Pockets.

EmFX Pouches from NEMO Equipment Now Available ADS

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

The EmFX Pouches from NEMO Equipment that we wrote about back in July are finally available both for unit orders through ADS and individual purchase with Tactical Distributors. Essentially, the pouch creates a mini Faraday Cage blocking all incoming and outgoing Radio Frequency signals. This means, you can’t pocket dial someone and no one can remotely query the data stored on your cell phone. Unfortunately, bad guys can query this data, so as you stroll along on business or vacation, criminals (or worse) can collect your info, all without your knowledge. The only way to protect this data is to store it in a safe place. If you are someone who travels frequently overseas this pouch is a good investment.

Interestingly, in Chapter 4 of William Gibson‘s new book, “Zero History” the story mentions a Faraday Cage pouch for passports and what nastiness can happen to unsuspecting passport holders. In case you didn’t realize it, new passports include a Radio Frequency ID tag that contains information on you and allows customs to more quickly process you. NEMO Equipment is currently working on just such a model for passports.